UNR - Italian Keyboard Configuration on Dell Mini 9

[komputes]

Keyboard Bugs on Dell Mini 9 with UNR - lpia kernel
Fully Updated 8.04 (lpia build). Italian keyboard model with "Invio" written on the enter key. There are a few quirks. I'm probably not selecting the right keyboard model. I have tried all the keyboard models under "Italy" but nothing seems to work.

Bug - First the keyboard utility (System > Preferences > Keyboard) does not actually show a keyboard picture.

Keyboard Quirks
) is on number 9 but pressing Shift-9 produces (
( is on number 8 but pressing Shift-8 produces *
= is on number 0 but pressing Shift-0 produces )
- has it's own key but pressing it produces /

 I will include a picture of the keyboard shortly. Any help in setting this up and/or fixing the bug would be appreciated.
[lspci]
00:00.0 Host bridge [0600]: Intel Corporation Mobile 945GME Express Memory Controller Hub [8086:27ac] (rev 03)
     Subsystem: Dell Unknown device [1028:02b0]
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: Intel Corporation Mobile 945GME Express Integrated Graphics Controller [8086:27ae] (rev 03) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
     Subsystem: Dell Unknown device [1028:02b0]

[Duane Hinnen (duanedesign)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this issue and helping to make Ubuntu better. Open a terminal/console and enter the following commands.

$ uname -a > ~/uname-a
$ cat /proc/version_signature > ~/version_signature
$ sudo lspci -vvnn > ~/lspci-vvnn
$ xprop -root | grep XKB > ~/xkb
$ gconftool-2 -R /desktop/gnome/peripherals/keyboard/kbd > ~/gconf

In your Home Folder will be five (5) new files uname-a, version_signature, lspci-vvnn , xkb, and gconf . Attach these to the bug report as separate attachments. Thank you in advance.

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

[This is an automated message]

Hi komputes,

Thanks for including an image to demonstrate the issue. Could you also please attach the output of `lspci -vvnn`, and attach your /var/log/Xorg.0.log file from after reproducing this issue. If you've made any customizations to your /etc/X11/xorg.conf please attach that as well.

Please attach the output of `lspci -vvnn` too.

[komputes (komputes)]

Sorry for the delay, had to find time to respond when I had the hardware with me.

[Mike Wimmer (mike-wimmer)]

I have recently (after the many updates for the dell mini ubuntu on Jan-11) observed a keyboard layout problem that I think is related to the problem that komputes describes. In particular, I don't think that this is a specific problem of Italian keyboards, but affects ANY keyboard layout other than US.

Here's list of reproducible steps to show the problem:
1. When I start the computer, changing the keyboard layout (in my case German) in System->Preferences->Keyboard does not have any effect. In addition, the keyboard layout preview is not shown in the keyboard preference program, as komputes describes it.
2. I can change the keyboard layout, if I do the following: In the keyboard preference program click on "Reset to defaults". Then US keyboard appears in the list of layouts. Then I add the German keyboard (and after "Reset to defaults" the keyboard preference program also shows a preview of the keyoard layout) and set it as a default.
In any case it is crucial for me to first click on "Reset to defaults"
3. After a reboot, the prefences are lost again, and I'm back to step 1.

Before the update on Jan-11, this problem was absent for me.
This problem is very annoying, and hence a rather serious bug. I have the feeling that it is Dell Mini specific as I have never experienced such a problem on my other Ubuntu computers.

I am using the standard Dell Mini Ubuntu with the latest updates and no additional changes.

What might be related is the fact that during the last update apt-get complained about a customized "xorg.conf.netbook" although I never changed that file. I chose to use the package provided file. However, this connection is just speculation, as I don't know what the contents of the previous version of xorg.conf.netbook were ...

[komputes (komputes)]

@Mike:
This is most likely a Dell Mini specific issue which uses a derivative of Ubuntu (modified image, separate repositories etc...). Since this is a separate issue I recommend opening a new bug against "The Dell Mini Project". I tried to use the German keyboard and after I rebooted I got a whole bunch of messed up characters. Open a new bug for you issue and please subscribe me for further testing.

Update on the bug:
Using the Dell Mini 9 derivative (from recovery), selecting Italian as the keyboard type, I am able to use all the keys correctly. Using UNR, I am not able to use all the keys correctly as stated in the original bug description.

[Filippo Argiolas (fargiolas)]

Same problem here on a Dell Mini 9 after latest upgrades. I can switch keyboard layout from preferences and set it to Italian, it works but after reboot I get again US mapped keys.

Also note that with latest upgrades Super key is not binded to F11 anymore so magic fullscreen doesn't work.

[Nicola Ferralis (feranick)]

As for the Super key, see:

https://bugs.launchpad.net/dell-mini/+bug/316946

For recent bios, it is bind to Fn+Z

[Chris Gregan (cgregan)]

Not a bug concerning the Shipping Dell mini OS

[Filippo Argiolas (fargiolas)]

On Mon, Feb 2, 2009 at 11:08 PM, Chris Gregan <email address hidden> wrote:
> Not a bug concerning the Shipping Dell mini OS

Why not? It uses Ubuntu Hardy and this bug affects Ubuntu Hardy. You
ship custom packages for Dell Mini which also include this bug.
Either disable the upgrades or fix it in your custom packages...
Otherwise I cannot see why I wouldn't affect "Shipping Dell Mini OS"

[Neil J. Patel (njpatel)]

Not related to UNR project

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

komputes, could you edit the file /usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/it to update it to suit the keyboard more properly. I'm guessing key symbols AE08, AE09, etc. need updated. Should be straightforward to do if you have the hw in front of you.

Send me your edited it file and we can extract an upstreamable patch from that. Not sure whether we can just update the it keyboard directly, or if it would need to be done as an alternate keyboard layout; upstream can give us direction there.

[Filippo Argiolas (fargiolas)]

Bryce, I think you're following a wrong path.. it's not a matter of single keys not mapped correctly. It's the layout setting that gets forgotten after reboot.
Considering that dell-mini uses autologin I really believe this is a duplicate of bug #196277

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

Ah yes, that's a commonly reported issue. Marking as dupe.